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Mercenaries/Session 32
19:59 <~abudhabi> Hmmm. maz? 19:59 <&Remmon> Is around 20:00 <&Remmon> But mildly distracted. 20:01 <~abudhabi> Alright. Where were we last time? 20:02 -!- Liam is now known as Vittorio 20:02 -!- Nuramor is now known as Lucas 20:02 -!- Remmon is now known as Arthur 20:04 <~abudhabi> Right. You were jumping to Junction. 20:04 <~abudhabi> Remind everyone of your plan, so people don't fleabag, oh Captain? 20:06 <&Arthur> The plan was to see if Junction had any handy anti-nanite weaponry we could convince it to part with. Or you know, a fleet of Ancient warships. 20:06 -!- maz is now known as luffy 20:09 <~abudhabi> Right, then! You arrive! Roll EduSensors! 20:10 < Lucas> !2d6+1+2: EduSensors 20:10 <+PainBot> Lucas rolled "EduSensors": (1+2)+1+2. Total: 6. 20:10 <&Arthur> !2d6+4: EduSensors 20:10 <+PainBot> Arthur rolled "EduSensors": (2+3)+4. Total: 9. 20:12 <~abudhabi> Arthur: Welp. You've arrived at the binary system with the right properties. Problem is, you fail to detect the main world anywhere. 20:12 <~abudhabi> You do, however, detect a Darrian broadcast beacon. Care to roll EduComms? 20:13 <&Arthur> !2d6+1-2: EduComms 20:13 <+PainBot> Arthur rolled "EduComms": (5+3)+1-2. Total: 7. 20:13 <~abudhabi> Arthur: Appears to be a warning of some kind. 20:13 < Lucas> !2d6+1: EduComms? 20:13 <+PainBot> Lucas rolled "EduComms?": (6+4)+1. Total: 11. 20:16 <~abudhabi> Lucas: Oh, look. This is now a Class Four Restricted Area. No civilian traffic permitted. You are to make way to the refueling station on the first world for inspection and getting chewed out. 20:16 < Lucas> "Yay" 20:17 < Vittorio> "... you stole my line" 20:17 <&Arthur> "Good thing we've still got enough fuel to leave." 20:18 * Arthur does some Astrogation work to make sure we're in the right place and to see if there's any sign of where our missing world went off to. 20:19 < Lucas> "So, I guess the world up and left, hm?" 20:19 <~abudhabi> Arthur: Int/Edu + Astro -2. 20:19 <&Arthur> !2d6+2+2-2: IntAstro-2 20:19 <+PainBot> Arthur rolled "IntAstro-2": (4+6)+2+2-2. Total: 12. 20:20 <&Arthur> "Planets don't just disappear. And when they do, it tends to leave some very significant traces." 20:21 < Lucas> "Normally planets also don't start terraforming themselves." 20:22 <~abudhabi> Arthur: You are in the right place. The local planets are just a bit off. As if some massive objection just up and vanished months ago. 20:22 <~abudhabi> -ion 20:22 < Vittorio> "It may just have been bad fiction, but isn't there somethign about turning planets into basically just massive ships?" 20:23 <&Arthur> "If we had the fuel for it, we could just jump a few light months out and see what happened, but from what I can tell, the planet up and disappeared." 20:23 <&Arthur> "No sign of it having moved through the solar system." 20:25 < Vittorio> "so the facility built a jump drive capable of moving a planet?" 20:25 <&Arthur> "I doubt it'd have been anything like our jump drive, but yeah, basically." 20:26 < Vittorio> "and it jumped inside the star's gravity well...." 20:28 <&Arthur> "Yeah, from a position not much closer to the star than we're about to jump from." 20:29 <&Arthur> @Lucas, let me know when the drive's cycled, it's time to leave and run trailing. There's an AI research facility I want to stop by...@ 20:31 * Lucas checks on the drives cooldown timer 20:31 <~abudhabi> !roll 1d6 20:31 <+PainBot> abudhabi rolled "1d6": (5). Total: 5. 20:31 <~abudhabi> Lucas: Something like 5 hours. 20:32 < Lucas> @We still need to wait about 5 hours to jump again.@ 20:34 <&Arthur> "Well, since we just made an entrance that someone's bound to notice, Vittorio, let's give us some vector change away from that beacon and then go silent." 20:35 * Vittorio will do that 20:35 < Vittorio> "if you're sure" 20:36 < Vittorio> "you dont just want to land and act like idiots and try and get info off these guys?" 20:36 <&Arthur> "I'm not that confident of these identities." 20:36 <&Arthur> "Especially since the groups most likely to respond to this place are the ones we've already encountered." 20:37 < Vittorio> "want to check with Dogan if he wants intell off these, or are you calling all the shots?" 20:37 <&Arthur> "Hmm. I suppose we should at least give him a chance to leave a message." 20:40 * Arthur goes to brief Dogen 20:41 <~abudhabi> Dogen: "What's up? We arrived yet?" 20:41 <&Arthur> "We have and Junction two is gone." 20:42 <~abudhabi> "Gone?" 20:42 <&Arthur> "Yes, gone. Judging from the state of the system, it just up and disappeared." 20:43 <~abudhabi> "Where to?" 20:44 <&Arthur> "No clue." 20:44 <&Arthur> "I doubt it left directions." 20:45 <~abudhabi> "Damn, this is big. Are you sure it didn't leave directions?" 20:46 <&Arthur> "You could try asking the Darrians, but apparently this whole place is restricted space now and I'd rather avoid another confrontation with angry Darrians." 20:46 <~abudhabi> "What about your AI? Can't it do some mumbo jumbo and check stealthily?" 20:48 <&Arthur> "We'd need to get within comms range." 20:48 <&Arthur> "We can see if we can get close enough once the drive's ready to go." 20:48 <~abudhabi> "Okay." 20:51 * Arthur heads back to the bridge to see what the first world in the system is like and how far away we need to be from it to safely jump. 20:52 <~abudhabi> Arthur: It's a small, tide-locked terrestrial world. Hot on one side, freezing on the other. 20:52 <~abudhabi> It's a size 2. 20:53 <&Arthur> tide-locked or rotationally locked? 20:54 <~abudhabi> One side always faces the stars. 20:55 <&Arthur> Yes, but is that because it's too close to the star or because it just happens to turn at the same rate it orbits? 20:55 <~abudhabi> It's not that close. Has to make room for the binary system. 20:56 <&Arthur> Size 2 means we should be able to get in comms range while still being far enough away to jump. 20:57 <&Arthur> "Vittorio, we're going to see about collecting whatever intel the Darrians have on this place." 20:57 <~abudhabi> Probably. 20:58 < Vittorio> "Ok - how're we doing that?" 20:59 <&Arthur> "We're going to head over to the first world and let our friend the AI hack their computers while we stay outside the jump limit." 21:00 < Vittorio> "sounds like a hoot, I'll set course then" 21:00 < Vittorio> "did we check to see if the Darriens have any ships in system that might try to intercept us?" 21:01 < Lucas> "What will we tell them if they ask why we aren't approaching any further?" 21:01 <&Arthur> "And that is why we're waiting until the drive is ready and staying outside the jump limit." 21:02 < Lucas> "Also, jump to where?" 21:02 <&Arthur> "Nonym." 21:06 < Lucas> "Well then, no more questions from me for now." 21:07 < Vittorio> "i'll take her in once the drives are ready" 21:07 * Vittorio will wait for the ready signal from engineering then make the manouver 21:08 * Lucas waits until the engines are ready to jump, then signals Vittorio 21:09 <~abudhabi> The drives eventually cool down. 21:10 < Lucas> @I'm ready over here.@ 21:10 * Vittorio take us in to comms range 21:12 * Arthur keeps an eye on the sensors 21:12 < Vittorio> "Ok, get ready to have our little friend do his thing" 21:12 < Lucas> "AI, once we're in Comms range with the first planet I want you to datamine everything they have about the Main world and what happened to it." 21:12 <~abudhabi> It takes the better part of the day to get to the world. There's a beacon on the cool side, and a couple of large Darrian ships sitting nearby. 21:15 * Arthur makes sure to have astrogation ready for a jump 21:15 <~abudhabi> !roll 2d6+16-2d6+15 21:15 <+PainBot> abudhabi rolled "2d6+16-2d6+15": (5+5)+16-(5+1)+15. Total: 35. 21:16 <~abudhabi> Arthur: Roll it. 21:16 <&Arthur> !2d6+2+2+4-4: Astrogate! 21:16 <+PainBot> Arthur rolled "Astrogate!": (2+5)+2+2+4-4. Total: 11. 21:18 <~abudhabi> Alright! The AI apparently uses the standard commlink to the refueling station. 21:18 <~abudhabi> !roll 1d6 21:18 <+PainBot> abudhabi rolled "1d6": (6). Total: 6. 21:19 <~abudhabi> Lucas: @Data mining complete.@ 21:19 <~abudhabi> Takes it six minutes. 21:19 < Lucas> "That was fast." 21:20 < Vittorio> "are we getting out of here?" 21:20 <&Arthur> @Did it have anything useful?@ 21:21 <~abudhabi> You are getting hailed by the station. 21:22 < Lucas> "Is a preliminary analysis possible? Any immediate information that could assist us in finding the world?" 21:24 <~abudhabi> Lucas: @Affirmative.@ 21:25 < Lucas> "Details." 21:27 < Lucas> @Arthur. The AI seems to have found something. I'm trying to get details.@ 21:27 <&Arthur> @We're being called by the station. You want to pick up the phone?@ 21:28 <~abudhabi> Lucas: @Implied directive detected: Darrian investigation has not turned up useful data on the world's new location. Prior exposure to entity Junction II suggests Foreven 3018 as destination.@ 21:28 < Lucas> "Prior exposure?" 21:28 < Lucas> @How far is Foreven 3018 away?@ 21:29 < Lucas> @Also, I'm busy. Make Vittorio do it.@ 21:30 < Vittorio> @Ok... what buttons do i need to press?@ 21:31 * Vittorio will try to work the comms unit 21:31 <~abudhabi> EduSens. 21:31 < Lucas> @Grmbl...I'm making you learn how to Comm at the next opportunity.@ 21:31 <~abudhabi> EduComms. 21:31 <&Arthur> !2d6+3: EduSens I can do :p 21:31 <+PainBot> Arthur rolled "EduSens I can do :p": (1+4)+3. Total: 8. 21:31 < Vittorio> !2d6-1 : edu comms 21:31 <+PainBot> Vittorio rolled "edu comms": (3+5)-1. Total: 7. 21:33 <~abudhabi> Vittorio: @This is Junction II Refueling Depot and Internment Site. You are commanded to land without delay.@ 21:33 <~abudhabi> Arthur: The big ships are taking off from the surface. 21:34 <&Arthur> @Lucas, we're jumping.@ 21:35 < Lucas> @Arthur. According to the AIs, and I quote, "prior exposure", it assumes the planets new position to be Foreven 3018.@ 21:35 <&Arthur> @Out of range for a direct jump, but I know how we can get there.@ 21:36 < Lucas> @Still want me to jump?@ 21:37 <&Arthur> @Before we get shot down or imprisoned for entering a place we didn't and couldn't have known was illegal to enter outside the Darrian border. yes.@ 21:37 < Lucas> !2d6+2+1:Jumping now 21:37 <+PainBot> Lucas rolled "Jumping now": (3+2)+2+1. Total: 8. 21:38 <~abudhabi> And off you go! 21:38 <~abudhabi> What do in jump? 21:39 <&Arthur> Go over the data the AI recovered. 21:39 <&Arthur> And read up on Foreven 3018 21:39 < Vittorio> sleep and train 21:39 < Lucas> ditto 21:41 <~abudhabi> Training Comms, anyone? :V 21:41 <~abudhabi> Maybe Sensors? 21:44 <~abudhabi> Arthur: There isn't much to actually read about. The system is designated as Ulmo, orbiting a main sequence K5 class star. Has both rocky and gas giant planets. It is apparently inhabited, but there's no detail. The last time someone did anything resembling survey there, was during the Third Frontier War. 21:44 <~abudhabi> The TAS catalogue does not have anything more. 21:45 <&Arthur> Wonderful. 21:46 < Vittorio> "so not the 'delightful holiday destination' I was hoping for then?" 21:47 <&Arthur> "Given that there's probably an extra world there, I doubt it." 21:51 <~abudhabi> :crickets: 21:53 < Vittorio> ((guessing there is nothing else to do untill we drop out of jump?)) 21:54 < Lucas> Anything from the AI other that "Its there" and The Darrians have no clue"? 21:54 < Lucas> *"The 21:55 <~abudhabi> Lucas: There was apparently a large scale Ancient refueling station at the middle Jovian there. 21:59 <~abudhabi> OK. You were going to Nonym? 21:59 <~abudhabi> !roll 2d6 21:59 <+PainBot> abudhabi rolled "2d6": (1+5). Total: 6. 21:59 < Vittorio> "we need to refuel" 22:00 <~abudhabi> You eventually arrive - inaccurately! 22:00 <~abudhabi> You are relatively near one of the system's gas giants. There's an automated harvester, refinery and fuel sale station at it. 22:01 <&Arthur> Let's get some fuel then 22:01 < Vittorio> "hey check that out - thats lucky!" 22:01 * Vittorio will refuel the ship 22:03 < Vittorio> "you got the next jump plotted?" 22:04 * Arthur will get the next jump plotted 22:04 <&Arthur> To Bael! 22:05 < Lucas> @We ready?@ 22:05 < Vittorio> @ready - hit it@ 22:05 < Lucas> !2d6+2+1+2: Hitting it 22:05 <+PainBot> Lucas rolled "Hitting it": (3+4)+2+1+2. Total: 12. 22:07 <~abudhabi> !roll 2d6+4 22:07 <+PainBot> abudhabi rolled "2d6+4": (1+3)+4. Total: 8. 22:08 <~abudhabi> Welcome to Bael! Nobody except a clan of belters lives in this unary system. There's a trade beacon on one of the larger asteroids. 22:08 < Vittorio> "Refuelling possible?" 22:08 <&Arthur> "Probably safer to scoop our own." 22:09 < Vittorio> "lets do that then" 22:09 <~abudhabi> What? You're afraid of the pre-stellar asteroid billies? 22:09 <&Arthur> They live on asteroids, they must have enough tech to live on asteroids. 22:10 <&Arthur> Hence they are a potential threat. 22:10 <&Arthur> Also. Have you seen what a hill billy with a shotgun can do? 22:10 * Vittorio will take us to scoop fuel then 22:12 <~abudhabi> You scoop up some fuel at a gas giant, ignoring the belter colony. 22:13 < Vittorio> ((how long does refining take?)) 22:14 <~abudhabi> (Arthur?) 22:14 <&Arthur> (3 days) 22:16 < Vittorio> ((after 3 days we leave then)) 22:17 < Lucas> !2d6+2+1+2: Leaving 22:17 <+PainBot> Lucas rolled "Leaving": (1+6)+2+1+2. Total: 12. 22:18 <~abudhabi> !roll 2d6+4 22:18 <+PainBot> abudhabi rolled "2d6+4": (1+2)+4. Total: 7. 22:20 <~abudhabi> You arrive at a strange star! It's a K5V, orange, main sequence star. Roll EduSensors! 22:21 <&Arthur> !2d6+3: EduSensors! 22:21 <+PainBot> Arthur rolled "EduSensors!": (5+1)+3. Total: 9. 22:22 < Lucas> !2d6+1+2:EduSensors 22:22 <+PainBot> Lucas rolled "EduSensors": (4+1)+1+2. Total: 8. 22:23 <~abudhabi> You've plopped into the system around the 2nd world. There are eight: three rocky ones, three gas giants, then two rocky ones. You detects EM emissions from the third planet. 22:25 * Arthur checks the survey data for the number of worlds this system should have and their orbits 22:26 <~abudhabi> Arthur: The amount of worlds checks out, actually. 22:27 <&Arthur> "Right. Let's drop by the third world first, see what's up there and see if they can do maintenance on the ship." 22:27 <&Arthur> "After that, let's see about that supposed ancient refueling facility." 22:27 * Vittorio flys us to the third world 22:29 <~abudhabi> EduSensors and EduComms, pls. 22:30 < Lucas> !2d6+1+2:EduSensors 22:30 <+PainBot> Lucas rolled "EduSensors": (2+3)+1+2. Total: 8. 22:30 < Lucas> !2d6+1:EduComms 22:30 <+PainBot> Lucas rolled "EduComms": (6+5)+1. Total: 12. 22:31 <&Arthur> !2d6+3: EduSensors! 22:31 <+PainBot> Arthur rolled "EduSensors!": (6+3)+3. Total: 12. 22:31 <&Arthur> !2d6+1-2: EduComms! 22:31 <+PainBot> Arthur rolled "EduComms!": (6+5)+1-2. Total: 10. 22:33 <~abudhabi> You detect that the civilization is pre-Stellar, judging by their emissions. Their world is a giant desert continent, with a big ocean on the arbitrarily southern pole. There is, however, a starport here! Looks to be a fairly decent one. The starport's beacon uses the Zhodani civilian communication protocol. 22:34 <&Arthur> "Wonderful. Zhodani. Just what we needed." 22:35 < Vittorio> "at least we've been kitted out for dealing with them - but why are they here?" 22:36 <&Arthur> "I know someone who might have the answer to that one." 22:36 < Vittorio> "our friend from the Beuro" 22:37 <&Arthur> "Yup." 22:37 * Arthur goes to find Dogen. 22:38 <~abudhabi> Dogen is playing cards with luffy. 22:38 <~abudhabi> Dogen: "What's up?" 22:38 <&Arthur> "There's a Zhodani starport here." 22:39 <~abudhabi> Dogen: "Not surprising. This is probably a client state of theirs. Certainly in their sphere of influence." 22:39 <&Arthur> "Any suggestions for dealing with them? We could use some maintenance before we try to find that refueling facility here." 22:40 <~abudhabi> "They probably won't just shoot us. We've got a peace treaty right now." 22:42 <&Arthur> "Righto. Vittorio, let's take us in." 22:43 * Vittorio will land the ship 22:44 <~abudhabi> With or without getting permission to land? :V 22:44 < Vittorio> ((after getting permission to land)) 22:45 <~abudhabi> You're using your new identity and transponder, right? 22:45 < Vittorio> ((correct)) 22:47 <~abudhabi> Vittorio: In broken Anglic, @Joo haff pre-misjoon... too lend. *whisper* *whisper*@ Roll IntRecon. 22:47 <&Arthur> !2d6+2+3: IntRecon, I'm good at that one! 22:47 <+PainBot> Arthur rolled "IntRecon, I'm good at that one!": (3+1)+2+3. Total: 9. 22:48 <~abudhabi> What languages do you know? 22:49 <&Arthur> Anglic and I've got a linguistics soft and translator IN MAH BRAIN! 22:50 <~abudhabi> Arthur: Your keen senses detect something that sounded like "they're landing like you wanted" in Zdetl. 22:51 < Vittorio> "making my approach now" 22:51 <&Arthur> What's that Starport armed with and how many people are down there? 22:51 <~abudhabi> Arthur: How would you know? 22:51 <&Arthur> Sensors? 22:52 <~abudhabi> Would you like to do some detailed scans while you go down? 22:52 <&Arthur> Yes, that sounds like a great plan. 22:52 <&Arthur> Also 22:52 <&Arthur> @Luffy, suit up.@ 22:52 <~abudhabi> Roll Int/Edu + Sens! 22:52 <&Arthur> !2d6+4:SensorsInt 22:52 <+PainBot> Arthur rolled "SensorsInt": (5+5)+4. Total: 14. 22:52 < Vittorio> "why're you having luffy suit up>" 22:53 * luffy suits up 22:54 <&Arthur> "Because the controller just told someone we were landed like he wanted, in Zdetl." 22:54 <&Arthur> "So we may need to rearrange the scenery a little." 22:54 < Vittorio> "... shiiiit... you wanna warn dogan we might have a diplomatic situation?" 22:55 <&Arthur> "I guess he doesn't have the right responses to my telling Luffy to suit up yet." 22:55 <&Arthur> @Dogen, we may be running into a spot of trouble with the locals.@ 22:55 <~abudhabi> Arthur: Those sandbanks look like concealed turrets. You give it a 75% probability that they're double turrets. You also discern something that looks like a SSM site. 22:56 <~abudhabi> Dogen: @Shit.@ 22:57 <&Arthur> @Lucas, set the AI to stealthily probing their systems. If it comes to shooting, I'd appreciate it if their power failed. Blueprints would be nice too, in case we have to induce a power failure ourselves.@ 22:57 * Lucas does that 22:58 <~abudhabi> !roll 2d6+16-(2d6+14) 22:58 <+PainBot> abudhabi rolled "2d6+16-(2d6+14)": (2+5)+16-((3+4)+14). Total: 2. 22:59 <~abudhabi> Lucas: @Probe commenced.@ 23:00 <~abudhabi> Lucas: @Probe succeeded. Defense facilities have independent power supply - disruption will be temporary.@ 23:02 <~abudhabi> The AI gives you specs on their defenses: Two double beam lasers, two single particle beams, and a bank of ten missile launchers. 23:02 * Lucas tells Arthur 23:03 <&Arthur> @Any clue how long of a disruption we're talking about?@ 23:04 * Lucas relays the question to the AI 23:04 <~abudhabi> Lucas: Yes. Anywhere between one and two combat rounds, depending on their discipline. 23:06 <&Arthur> @Long enough to get below the horizon and hide, not long enough to make orbit.@ 23:10 < Vittorio> "So what the hell am I doing?" 23:11 <&Arthur> "Landing." 23:11 <&Arthur> "Let's see if they're actually up to any evil before we blow up their reactor, run behind the hills and start a guerilla campaign to take out their orbital defenses." 23:12 < Vittorio> "when did you start getting all caring and worried about colaterall damage?" 23:12 * Vittorio lands the ship 23:12 <&Arthur> "When we might be part of it." 23:13 <~abudhabi> Re: Staff: There's about a hundred personnel at the starport. They have about twenty marine-equivalents, plus gunners and turreteers. 23:13 <&Arthur> So we can totally take them in guerilla warfare. 23:14 * Vittorio is not sure if he's being serious or sarcastic 23:14 * Arthur is being dead serious 23:14 <~abudhabi> Emphasis on "dead". 23:16 <~abudhabi> OK, so the plan is to land? 23:16 <&Arthur> Yes, Vittorio is landing us. 23:16 < Vittorio> ((apparently!)) 23:17 <&Arthur> Then we find out if it was a trap. If it was, we switch to Plan B which is for the AI to kill the power and for us to go screaming off over the horizon at 4g of thrust 23:17 <~abudhabi> OK. 23:17 <~abudhabi> We'll find that out next week!